what lies beneath
by Shan-Kun
Summary: meh.


_Gah. I'm back with another song fic...~_~ how are you guys? Yes, I will be updating Aciac soon. Just that I've been lazy and busy with life. Aka school, parents, etc._

_Izaya: -coughs- Foxling -coughs-_

_Kurama: -twitches- Flea..._

_hush Izaya. _

_Anyway, I don't own anything except my Ocs_

_this is kinda a drabble I came up with after listening to pretty hurts._

_Song: Beyonce Pretty Hurts._

* * *

Another year, another thousands of dollars wasted. Why do they put me up with this?

"Ms. Kentucky!" I loud nosie, clapping, is heard though out the building. I step down from my position, careful not to fall like the last girl, and walk over to the man with the microphone. He is tall, with light brown hair and blue eyes. Mr. Damson, I think.

"Ms. Kentucky, you've done wonderful so far, and you are very gorgeous. Congratulations on being the runner up!"

I blink. Runner up?

My first ever lost. Yet, I'm strangely happy by this...

"Our 2014 winner for Ms. Junior America is...Ms. Florida!" another roar. Even I smile and clap. Ms. Florida is actually one of my closet friends. I kiss both of her cheeks, not meant to be sexual. Just friendly. She does the same, then happily accepts her crown and sash, as well as a giant bouquet of flowers.

"Omg...I can't believe I won! Thank you all!"

I smile happily at her, clapping my hardest for her. She was soon hugged by everyone else who entered the pageant. I take this chance to sneak off the stage. I remove my sash and sit down in one of the chairs, covering my face with my hands. I sigh out loud.

"Why did I even enter this competition..."

"Tia? Why'd you leave so early?" I blink, then perk my head up to stare at the voice before me.

"Kurama?! What are you doing here?! Better yet- how did you-"

"Their security isn't very good, as I suspected. It was easy to sneak past without causing trouble." of course he did. Who am I kidding? He use to be a theft for crying out loud! Not that I'm criticizing him for it. If it makes him happy, so be it. I smile softly at him.

"Of course." he watches me worriedly.

"What?"

"Aren't you happy you got runner up? You got something, right?" I blink, then smile and nod.

"Of course I'm happy. My friend got first place."

"I meant for yourself." I blink again, then nod. He stares at me sternly, as if seeing though me.

Which, he does often.

"Tiarie..." I sigh and turn away from him.

"Sorry..."

"Why did you enter this anyway...?" I laugh bitterly.

"I was just wondering that...guess I'm use to it." it's his turn to blink.

"This isn't your first pageant...?" I turn back to him, just now noticing that he's a lot closer than what he was.

"No...it's...my fifth one...and my first second place."

"...you're use to faking then..." he states, softly, as if not to upset me.

I only sigh and nod. "it's so much easier...to put on a plastic smile...for people to look at my looks. Not who I actually am."

"...Is it worth it?"

"No."

"Why continue?" I shrug.

"Tiarie...if I told you it's time to drop the facade, would you..?"

"..Kurama, you're staring at me without said facade."

"I meant everyday. In front of our school mates. There's no need to pretend you're fine, because I know when no one's around, you don't smile. You don't laugh. You don't sing as loud as you do when it's just me. I know because I've watched you. Time and time again, I've noticed that you're unhappy for many reasons."

"Kurama..." I stare at him, tears threatening to roll down my cheeks. He strokes my cheek soothingly.

"I hate it. Not just because it makes you hide your true, natural beauty, but because it's not something you like, or don't like anymore."

"It's the only thing that makes them accept me..." I look away again. He just turns me and rests his forehead against mine.

"I accept you as yourself. Your broken, wounded self. So does Skaya. All of us."

I choke on my tears. He gets my makeup remover pads, and begins to gently remove my makeup. He takes my hair down and brushes it, then puts it up in the familiar ponytail, compared to the up do I just had it in. I let him. He also gently removes my contacts.

"You know, I've never seen you with your hair down..."

"...After my parents left me, they gave me a chance to prove 'my worth' in pageants. I won first place, only for them to rob my awards behind my back and use it on Kari. after one of those pageants, for whatever the reason...my mother cut it right before my eyes..."

"..." I shrug. "So I've worn it up since then. Mostly updos. "

"I think you look beautiful with it down." He turns me to the mirror to stare at my reflection and his. Staring back at me is a girl with long, nearly black hair that is slightly frizzy, dark brown eyes, dark skin, uneven eyelids that previously had eyelid tape in the crease to even them out. Her face is round, very round. She is curvacious,curves showing in reflection like there's no tomorrow. And then there's his smile. His loving, accepting smile. I can't help but smile back at him.

"You are perfect to me like this. You don't need ten pounds of makeup, extensions, sky high heels. I love you for you, and you are perfect in my eyes and heart."

I gasps, then turn to him.

"I mean it, Tiarie, I love you." he tilts my head upwards, then leans down and kisses me gently but with a lot of passion. I kiss back, my face bright red.

We pull apart for air, and stare into each other.

_[This time i'm gonna take the crown]_

_[without falling down, down down...]_

I realize, as I stare into his emerald eyes, that I've won. I took the crown. And I didn't fall once.

He's been waiting there for me the entire time.

_[when you're alone all by yourself]_

_[and you're lying in your bed]_

_[Reflection stares right into you]_

_[are you happy with yourself?]_

"Kurama...I don't want any other crown but the one that's standing in front of me. And if this crown wants the absolute honest side, then he shall have it." He smiles softly at me, then shocks me as he sings to me softly.

"_plastic smiles and denials can only take you so far. You left the shattered mirror in the shards of a beautiful past."_

I gasps at him, tears welling up in my eyes.

"_you stripped away the masquerade. The illusion has been shed. Are you happy with yourself?" _

"_Yes...uh huh huh."_

He smiles softly at me.

"That's the answer I wanted to hear."

I smile up at him, then look around.

"Let's go. All that beauty crap made me hungry as fuck." He chuckles softly, and we walk out the room. I take one last look back, seeing my birth mother glaring at me in disappointment, and my adopted mot

her smiling at me with everyone else. I smile, knowing I've made a good decision.

I will never again go through that again.

* * *

_Crappy ending I know. Meh._

_Kurama: -smiles softly-_

_R&R_


End file.
